


Great Expectations

by Endangered_Slug



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adoption, F/M, Teenage Pregnancy, sometimes people make mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 16:14:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4311855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endangered_Slug/pseuds/Endangered_Slug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Belle finds herself pregnant at 18  there is only one person she will consider to adopt her baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Great Expectations

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt over on Tumblr. Thanks to Doctorpeppers for helping with the title and my apologies to Charles Dickens, who, LBH, is probably used to it by now.

“I’m pregnant.”

Gold looked up as the speaker stepped into the back room, her blue eyes awash with unshed tears and wide with fear. He blinked at her stupidly as those two words sunk in and that was when his heart broke.

“I’m…” He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Congratulations, Miss French,” he said as neutrally as possible. The phrase “Who’s the lucky man?” was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit down hard to keep from blurting out anything so telling and possibly hurtful.

Her near hysterical laugh did nothing to dispel the knot in his stomach. He hadn’t even known she was dating anyone let alone… No matter, he was only her boss. Belle’s private life was her own business just as his hopeless love for her was his own.

He swallowed thickly, bowing his head to look at the clock he had been repairing, not that he could see it as his own tears threatened to fall. It took him a moment before he was able to compose himself and bring up the mask of indifference he wore when he was around other people. People other than Belle, but it seemed that he would need it around her from now on, too.

“You, um, you’re feeling okay?” he asked, glancing up at her then dropping his eyes again.

She put her hand on her belly, still flat and smooth underneath her clothes, but that would soon change, Gold realized. Soon she would begin to swell and grow with another man’s baby and he had to tamp down the sudden jealous rage he felt as he imagined it. He had no right to be jealous. He had no right to anything at all.

“I’m fine, I guess,” she said, sitting down on a stool next to his work station. “I’m in shock. It was just…” She glanced at him shyly before quickly looking away, a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “It was just the one time.”

“Sometimes once is all it takes,” he said in a shaky voice before recovering himself with a gulp. “Do you have a plan? Does the — does the father know?”

She nodded and looked away again, her arms wrapping around her stomach protectively. Gold could gather that the conversation didn’t go well at all.

He wanted to ask, wanted to know, but he kept silent, waiting for her to tell him in her own time. He could imagine how scared she must be feeling. How disappointed and anxious, but, most of all, scared. She had been all set to go to university in a few weeks on a scholarship. She was going to learn everything, she’d said. Learn and travel and see the world. That would be impossible with a baby in tow, a young, single mother at eighteen with hardly any money to her name as it is.

“Forgive me,” he said, desperate now that she was so silent. “Am I to understand that the father wants nothing to do with it?”

She nodded, mumbling something he couldn’t understand.

“What was that?”

“He told me to get rid of it. Said it wasn’t his problem.”

He saw red and only the thought that being behind bars would prevent him from helping her kept him in his seat instead of hunting the person down — whoever he was— and making him pay. He knew Belle. Knew she wouldn’t accept that option available to her and the thought of this callous youth, this… blundering idiot using her and throwing her away like that made his vision turn red with rage.

“May I ask—”

“Gary Stone,” she mumbled, clearly mortified to have to name him. She squirmed in her seat and refused to look him in the face.

“I see.” And he did see. Gary Stone, while not the smartest person in Storybrooke, was large and handsome with muscles that could crack a walnut. Of course Belle would find him attractive, though he was surprised she’d let him touch her in such a way. He’d thought she had more sense than that, but he also knew that sometimes feelings got in the way of common sense and the next thing you knew, you were in your boss’s workspace in tears because you made a huge mistake.

The thought of that oversized brute and Belle made his stomach turn, but he forced that feeling away. He’d known he’d never had a chance with Belle for many, many reasons, her age and status as his employee being just two of them, but the proof of it stung deeply. Unless—

“Did he force you?” he asked sharply. He would castrate the man if he so much as hurt a hair on her head.

She shook her head, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I knew what I was doing. Well, I thought I did,” she said with a rueful look.

Gold stared at his hands again unable to think of what to say. He’d been young and foolish once. He’d let his emotions take control and had wound up in the exact same position as Mr. Stone. The difference was he’d taken responsibility of his actions and didn’t abandon the mother.

“You must think so badly of me now,” she said quietly.

He looked up, then. “No, never! Belle— Miss French, I would never think poorly of you. Young Mr. Stone, however, is a different matter.”

She smiled at him, then, tiny and wobbly, but it counted and it made him feel good to have elicited even such a small thing from her.

He took another deep breath and stood up, testing his shaky legs before walking over to a bookshelf filled with law books. “Well, it seems you will need a lawyer on your side to make sure this deadbeat takes his responsibilities seriously.”

“I’m thinking of adoption,” she blurted out before snapping her mouth shut. Her eyes widened, her mouth turned down into a frown. She looked miserable.

He smiled warmly at her. “That’s a very brave and selfless thing to consider, Belle. You would make some family very happy.” He moved his finger from one tome to another and pulled it out setting it on the table next to the broken clock before sitting down again. “But you’ll still need a lawyer. And as I’ve facilitated adoptions before, I would be happy to assist you, should you choose to go that route.” He pushed the book towards her knowing she would want to read the various laws involved for herself. He could explain the details if she had any questions.

“I’ll have to give up school though,” she sniffled and his heart broke all over again.

“No, you don’t,” he admonished. “You just have to delay it a while. It’s July now, you’ll have the baby in…”

“Mid-April,” she said, curious as to how he was working things out in his head.

“Spring Break! You could conceivably keep your scholarship. It will be difficult, but doable.”

“Or I go into labor during my final exams,” she pointed out.

“It’s a risk” he conceded.

She looked up at him, eyes clearer now, though still red. “If I stay in Storybrooke, would I be able to keep my job here?”

“Miss French—”

“Belle,” she insisted.

“Belle,” he said with a smile. “You may stay as long as you’re able.” He tapped the table with his fingertips, thinking for a moment. “I’ll have Henry Mills start in a few weeks to do the heavy lifting. Between the three of us, we’ll keep things afloat.”

Belle burst into tears, sobbing into her hands as her shoulders shook. Gold ran around the table to wrap her in his arms, holding her close and making soothing sounds in the back of his throat.  

He was going to kill Gary Stone for putting her through this. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday he was going to make Mr. Stone regret he ever laid a finger on Belle French.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she choked out. “It’s just no one wants to help me. You’re the only one and I can’t—” she gave a small hiccup. “I’m so scared.”

“Of course you are, Belle. Of course, but you don’t have to do this alone. Not as long as I’m here, do you understand?” He kissed the top of her head, praying she didn’t notice. The last thing she needed was to think her boss was taking advantage of her.

She nodded her head, sniffling, and, with another small smile, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace whispering, “Thank you” into his ear.

“Don’t thank me just yet.”

She pulled back, a sheepish look on her face and he stepped away feeling bereft now that she wasn’t in his arms any more. But, of course, she didn’t really want him touching her. She probably didn’t want anyone touching her, not for a long time at least and, then, when she was ready again, he would be the last person she would accept.

Second to last, he thought. Gary Stone was probably holding onto the bottom place.

“Sorry,” she said again.

“Don’t be.”

She took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve actually thought about who would be the best person to adopt my baby,” she said, looking at him carefully.

“Someone you know? Are you thinking about an open adoption then? The Nolans?” He knew they’d been trying to have a baby for a while now, they would probably welcome Belle’s baby with open arms if she went to them.

She shook her head. “No. Not them. It’s, uh, well, I was thinking— I was thinking that it should be you.”

 


End file.
